A Flash Encounter
by purplehairedwonder
Summary: When Barry takes a trip to New York for a meeting about his mother's case, he gets directions from a gelled-back college student from back home. Glee/Arrow crossover


**Author's Note:** So, Grant Gustin is the most adorable ever as Barry Allen on _Arrow_, and this crossover was begging to be written. For the lovely korydwen, who prompted "Barry being lost in New York in the rain and bumping into a very tight scheduled Blaine."

I have no idea where Central City or Starling are supposed to be located in the _Arrow_-verse, but Wiki informs me that in at least some iterations of the _Flash _comics, Central City was in Ohio, and that was too perfect not to use.

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing you recognize.

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**A Flash Encounter**

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Barry glanced at his watch as he stepped off the train and cursed. He was eighteen minutes and forty-two, forty-three, forty-four seconds late for his meeting. He'd barely had time to call in sick to work and snag a train ticket to New York City after a retired detective who'd worked his mother's case had agreed to meet with him at the last minute. And then he'd missed the first train out of Central City and had to wait for the next one to New York.

Unable to push through the crowd, Barry could only let the throng lead him to the exit and up the stairs. But as he stepped out onto the sidewalk, he grimaced; _of course _it was raining. He hadn't thought to grab an umbrella in his rush out the door. He only had a city map and a messenger bag with the relevant files he'd made of his mother's case and weird cases like it. He instinctually raised the map over his head, for all the good that did.

Barry moved out of the middle of the sidewalk and pulled his phone out to open his maps app-and groaned. Apparently it was just going to be one of those days. He ran a hand over his face, wiping some rain water out of his eyes, and pocketed his dead phone, then craned his neck, looking for a street sign to get some semblance of bearings. He was supposed to meet Detective Matthews at a cafe in Greenwich Village, but clearly he should have gotten more detailed directions than that.

"Do you need some help?"

Barry started at the sound of a soft voice and turned around. "I-" he started, only to freeze. He blinked. _Oh._

The boy-man, really; he was probably a college student-who'd spoken looked like he could have stepped straight out of one of those '50s films his mother had loved, from his gelled back hair and wide eyes to his trim waist and Brooks Brothers outfit. Barry shook himself, unable to help the self-deprecating smile spreading on his lips. He was being an idiot, gaping a random good Samaritan in the middle of a New York sidewalk in the pouring rain.

"Is it that obvious?" he asked, scratching the back of his neck.

The other man's lips twitched. Barry thought he detected a faint blush on his cheeks, but it was probably just from the chill. "Well, you definitely didn't pack for the weather," he said, adjusting his own umbrella.

"I left Central City in kind of a rush this morning and didn't check the weather," Barry admitted, running a hand through his wet hair.

The other man's eyes widened. "You're from Central City?"

"Tourist, yeah." Central City was a fairly big city, at least in the Midwest, but it had nothing on New York. Barry had enough trouble getting around Starling City when he visited, so he probably looked completely out of his depth to a New Yorker.

"I'm from Lima!" the man replied, eyes widening excitedly. Or not a New Yorker, then. "What are the odds of meeting someone else from Ohio?" he laughed and stuck out his hand. "My name is Blaine, by the way. Blaine Anderson."

"Barry. Allen," Barry replied, taking Blaine's hand in slight wonder. That was an incredible coincidence. "So do you live in the city, or-?"

Blaine nodded, not seeming to mind that Barry's hand was wet. "I'm a student at Tisch. I was actually on my way to class when I saw you looking lost." He inclined his head slightly, his smile widening, and something inside Barry's chest fluttered. "I remember that overwhelmed feeling from when I first got here, so.." He trailed off, ducking his head.

Barry followed his gaze to their hands, and his face heated when he realized he hadn't let go of Blaine's. He quickly released it and looked down at his watch in embarrassment-only to jolt. Crap. He was _really_ late now.

"I was supposed to meet someone at the, uh," Barry glanced at the now bleeding note he'd made on his map, "Marketplace Cafe. Half an hour ago," he added with a grimace. He could only hope Detective Matthews would still be waiting for him. This was the best lead he'd had on helping his father in a long time, and he couldn't afford to throw it away.

"Oh, that's not far," Blaine said, brightening as he glanced up at Barry through criminally-long eyelashes.

Blaine shifted closer and ended up covering the pair of them with his umbrella as he pulled the map out of Barry's hands. Barry was already a drowned rat, so the dryness, though welcome, didn't matter much. But he still swallowed as Blaine pulled out a pen from his bag and drew a few lines and circled what Barry assumed was the cafe. Barry could feel the heat radiating from Blaine's compact form, the slight shifting of his muscles as his hand moved on the map...

"Barry?"

Barry blinked and glanced over at Blaine, who was handing his map back with a curious glance. "Sorry," Barry apologized, mentally cursing himself. "Thank you."

"I'd take you myself, but I have to get to class…" Blaine trailed off apologetically.

Barry shook his head quickly. "No, you've done more than enough."

Blaine bit his lip a moment, like he wanted to say something more, before simply nodding. "I hope you make your meeting," he said.

"Really, _thank you_."

Blaine nodded again and, after hesitating briefly, gave a quick wave and melted back into the umbrella-clad throng of pedestrians. Barry watched after him for a moment before looking back down at his map. He studied the lines from the subway stop to the circled cafe then also joined the crowd.

* * *

It wouldn't be until after his meeting with Detective Matthews, who ended up being a dead end who still thought Barry's father was guilty, that Barry would notice another circled point on his map with a phone number and the initials B.A. next to them.


End file.
